The Initiates Series
by factionless-tribute
Summary: You've heard Tris's version of initiation. Now follow Al, Christina, Will, Peter and all the other initiates as they embark on their own journeys. Will their chosen faction transform them, or destroy them?
1. Choosing Ceremony: Al

**Hi guys! This is my first Divergent Fanfic! I came up with this idea quite a while ago. This story will follow most of the initiates in the story as they complete - or fail - initiation. It's a multi-POV story. I am using some lines from the book, but Divergent doesn't belong to me. It isn't my work. It's the work of the fabulous Veronica Roth!**

**First up, we have the POV of Albert at the Choosing Ceremony. Enjoy!**

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_**Albert Freedman, Dauntless Initiate (Faction Transfer)**_

I ascend up the Hub building in a lift, flanked by my mother, father and a crowd of black and white clothed Candor. My stomach feels so heavy, it might just pull me to the ground. I'm ascending towards the Choosing Ceremony, and my future.

My parents are not like the others in Candor. A lot of the other parents dream of their child growing up in Candor as honest, truthful, good people. To be honest, I had been dreaming about that as well. But no, my parents were different. They dream of me growing up to be Dauntless. Brave, daring, always taking risks.

Stupid, uncalculated risks.

Mother and father had always admired the Dauntless. Their bravery, their strength. But I didn't share their views. Unlike them, I had never understood the Dauntless. How was jumping off and onto trains, tattooing your body and piercing holes into your skin considered bravery?

Instead, I looked towards my fellow Candor as role models. I admired their honesty, their power and their good will. Most of the adults became lawyers, like my mother and father. They were _paid _to fight for justice. I hoped I would've been the same to join them, to lead a life of speaking my mind and searching for truth in this corrupted world of lies.

But my parents decided against it. They wanted me to transfer to Dauntless, to become a protector of the city. I didn't understand it. If they admired the Dauntless so much, why didn't _they _transfer when they were sixteen?

My memory recalls a conversation with my parents at dinner after the Aptitude Test.

xXx

"_Son, have you thought about transferring to Dauntless?" my father asked._

_I shrugged. "No. I mostly thought about staying in Candor."_

_Mother piped up. "Well, your father and I have been talking. And we want you to become Dauntless."_

"_No!" my fork clattered to the table. "No! Just because you both like them, doesn't mean I share your views."_

"_Al, you must!" my mother begged._

"_You cannot make me! This is my decision to make!"_

"_Albert Callum Freedman, you will become Dauntless," my father said. "And it's final. Otherwise, I will pay George to fail your initiation and you will be factionless."_

xXx

The lift doors open into the room. We are the last of the people to arrive. My mother and father hug me one last time.

"Remember, son-"

"Yes," I say, exasperated. "I know. Goodbye."

With a final glance at them, I turn away and head to where the sixteen year olds have lined up in reverse alphabetical order. I get in line between Dylan Fremantle, an Erudite boy with blue rimmed glasses, and Jemima Franwell, an Amity girl in a sunshine-yellow dress with curly red hair.

Once I'm in my spot, I look towards the centre of the room where the five bowls are. All factions are represented. Selfless Abnegation with grey stones, intelligent Erudite with water, peaceful Amity with brown soil, the brave Dauntless with lit coals and honest Candor, _my _Candor, with shards of glass.

My heart sinks when I see the five bowls. This is really happening. I'm about to abandon the faction I grew up in and lead a life in a faction that I despise. I could stay in Candor and try to pass initiation with my father's threat hanging on my back. But it's too risky. I could risk being factionless. I've seen those people on the street. Their hunched, hopeless bodies lined across the walls of their district. Skinny, hungry, desperate. I'd rather be dead than factionless.

Every faction takes turns hosting the Choosing Ceremony. This year, the responsibility is in Abnegation's hands. A man in grey robes, most likely one of their leaders, steps forward to give the opening address. He speaks in a loud, sure voice about how we, their dependants, are on the precipice of adulthood and how our democratic philosophy tells us that every man has the right to choose their own way in the world.

He speaks about how our society was formed, the five factions created based on five of the flaws which held the blame of the fault of human society. He explains that each of the five factions aimed to eliminate their chosen flaw, and that together, the five factions created a harmonic society and each faction on their own gave their members meaning, purpose and life.

"Therefore, this day marks a happy occasion – the day on which we receive our new initiates, who will work with us towards a better society, and a better world," says the grey-robed Abnegation man. And his address is finished.

After the muffled applause that ripples through the crowd, the man starts to read out the names in reverse alphabetical order. One by one, everyone here in the line will step forward, cut the palm of their hand with a knife and sprinkle their blood into the faction they choose. The first girl to step forward chooses Amity, which was the faction she came from judging by her red t-shirt.

The line of people keeps moving. Name after name is called, and time after time I watch the blood of others fall into the bowls of their chosen factions. I absentmindedly watch on, as the blood of the people around me announces them as initiates of their original faction, or faction transfers. James Tucker of Dauntless transfers to Candor. Caleb Prior causes a fuss when he transfers from Abnegation to Erudite, two factions that have become recent enemies. And his sister, Beatrice Prior, follows his lead. Only she transfers to Dauntless.

Two siblings, both transferring to different factions. It's not really often that happens.

The ceremony goes on. Factions are starting to gain some numbers. The only faction that seems to be low on numbers compared to the others is Abnegation. They still have some initiates, but not as many as the other four factions. The watching members of Abnegation begin to look slightly worried.

The list moves closer to my name. I watch the boy in front of me, Dylan, walk forward, cut his palm and sprinkle his blood into the Erudite bowl without hesitation. Then it's my turn.

"Albert Freedman."

I take a deep breath and walk forward. My mind's racing. Then I think, what if I could switch to another faction other than Dauntless?

Not Erudite. I'm not the smartest person out there.

Not Amity. I can get aggressive at times.

Not Abnegation. I've seen those kids at school. Half the time, they look like they're in pain.

But I'm not brave. I know myself, I am not brave. The only thing that I'm proud of, if anything, is my honesty. My aptitude test came back as Candor. But if I choose Candor, I'm going to end up factionless.

I am handed the knife by the man from Abnegation. Then I walk to stand in front of the bowls. I drag the blade across my palm, making a red streak. I look from the Candor glass to the lit coals of the Dauntless.

If I choose Candor, I am being honest with myself.

If I transfer to Dauntless, I am only proving myself a coward.

This is the ultimate test. I close my eyes, take a few breaths, then open them. I hold my hand out, and my blood doesn't fall onto glass. It sizzles on the coals of my new faction.

I look out into the crowd as I walk off to the Dauntless section of the room. My father's eyes look proud as he gives me an encouraging nod. I can't stand to look him in the eye anymore. I reach the Dauntless, and stand behind them, my hands in my pockets. I look down at my outfit. Black trousers and a black dress shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. The black and white of Candor.

I do up the buttons on the shirt, erasing the only part left of me that represented my old faction.

I am dishonest. I am a coward.

I don't know who I am anymore.

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**I hope you enjoyed that! Follow and review, I'd love to hear your opinions!**

**Thanks for reading, guys! :)**


	2. Post Choosing Ceremony: Susan

**Thank you to the people who have reviewed and followed!**

**Not all the POVs I am doing will necessarily be from initiates going through Dauntless initiation. The main focus will be Dauntless initiation, but I will also be exploring other characters who have transferred to other factions. I am also trying to stay as true to the characters and the storyline as possible.**

**So, this is a sort of reflective POV from Susan Black, Tris's friend. This takes place just after the Choosing Ceremony. It's a little bit short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! :)**

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_**Susan Black, Abnegation Initiate (Faction-born)**_

I'm relieved that the Choosing Ceremony is over.

To be honest, I was pretty shocked at the outcome. A lot of the people I knew from Abnegation became transfers to other factions. Even the people I hadn't expected, Robert, Caleb and Beatrice.

Robert decided to transfer to Amity. I guess that isn't so bad. And Robert has always been such a kind and understanding brother to me. He was always selfless too. The night before, he came to talk to me about the choice he was stuck with making. He told me he got Abnegation as his test result, same as me. But he also said that Abnegation didn't feel right for him anymore.

I told him I understood. I really did. And I said I would always love him, whatever he decided to do.

I guess mother and father would have been less lenient with his decision. Both of them were Abnegation inside out, their personality traits later transferred onto Robert and I. I always felt safe in Abnegation, our tight, strong community. I felt like I belonged. And I have always been selfless, and genuine about it. Robert was selfless too, but I could always sense that he felt like he was lying to himself.

Out of everyone, I hadn't expected Caleb to be the one of us to transfer. And out of all factions, Erudite? Our recent enemy? I wonder what influenced that decision. He was like me, selfless and genuine. And I knew him very well too. We were close friends, and we always talked a lot. And it felt like things could have gotten more serious if he had stayed. But he hadn't. And I had to accept that.

And Beatrice, Caleb's sister. She transferred to Dauntless. I was close to her too, though not as close to her as I was with Caleb. I could see why she transferred. For her, life in Abnegation seemed so difficult. I could see how hard she tried to be selfless. But it seemed like no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't selfless enough. I sometimes caught her staring at her reflection in the windows we passed, sometimes I saw her brother stand up because she forgot to even consider giving up her seat on the bus. It isn't her fault, of course. It's just that she probably wasn't made for Abnegation the way I was.

So I guess I am the only one left. And I don't know how to feel about that. I watch my parents with worried faces as they start to help tidy up the room. I see Caleb and Beatrice's parents in a heated argument, no doubt about the fact that both their children have transferred factions. And I see Marcus Eaton, expressionless as he puts out the burning flames in the Dauntless bowl and dispose of the coals and blood. His son transferred to Dauntless two years ago, but it doesn't look like it bothers him.

All the other sixteen year olds around me start to fall in step with the Abnegation members, helping empty out the bowls of the factions, stacking chairs, sweeping floors, gathering lost property. We all do it silently and efficiently, helping people carry big loads, dividing ourselves into pairs and groups to do other jobs. It's the reason why I love my faction. We all help each other out without hesitation, without being asked. Seeing us all work together, I can't help but think about how beautiful it is.

I wonder what the next few weeks will be like. I have seen initiates go through initiation before. It's basically a period of community service. Abnegation initiation is quite easy, and almost everyone who becomes an initiate becomes a member. It's a wonder more people don't transfer here.

But then I think about Robert, Caleb and Beatrice. I wonder what they're going to have to go through now. Caleb will probably have the hardest initiation of all. The Erudite people are a pretty exclusive faction, and you really do have to be intelligent to make it. Beatrice will probably have it tough too. Out of all the factions, I have heard that Dauntless initiation is the cruellest of them all. But I have heard nothing about Amity initiation, so I can only imagine what Robert will have to go through.

I wonder what it would have been like if they all stayed in Abnegation. I would have married Caleb, gone to faction meetings with Beatrice, lived next door to her and Robert. It would have been a nice life.

I do realize it's selfish of me to think this, but I really wish they hadn't left Abnegation.

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**Please review with you're opinions. Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. The Jump: Myra

**Hey, guys! Here's the next chapter!**

**I decided to write this chapter in the POV of Myra because I felt she was a very overlooked character in the story. And it was interesting to write her, because she seemed like one of the weaker initiates. I hope you like reading this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent. It belongs to Veronica Roth.**

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_**Myra Winters, Dauntless Initiate (Faction Transfer)**_

"Several stories below us is the member's entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."

My heart pounds in my ears and I suddenly go breathless. I start to shiver, though I'm not sure whether it's from the harsh wind on the rooftop or from what the faction leader, Max, has told us to do. I'm not sure if I had heard him correctly.

"You want us to jump off a _ledge_?" I say. My mouth is hanging ajar slightly, my eyes wide with shock. The faction leader, to my dismay, looked very amused.

"Yes," he replies.

Edward stands next to me. Our hands are twined together. "Is there water at the bottom or something?" he asks.

Max, still looking amused, raises his eyebrows. "Who knows."

The group of people in front of the initiates part to make a path for us. None of us move. I see a Candor boy picking at his cuticles, obviously not wanting to take the first jump. Edward, still holding my hand, squeezes my fingers so hard they might break.

Then the Stiff girl starts to step forward.

She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and she's wearing the normal Abnegation uniform. Grey trousers and a grey, robe-like shirt that hangs loose on her slim frame. She steps up onto the ledge, unbuttons her shirt and throws it at the Candor boy who had been picking at his cuticles earlier.

Facing back towards the cold, windy air, she jumps.

The dark-skinned Candor girl I had seen with her earlier brings her hand to her mouth in shock as silence descends around all of us. Then I hear the landing, a sort of pulling sound. And later, the cheers and shouts.

A male voice shouts, echoing over the other cheers. "First jumper – Tris!"

The Candor girl who'd just looked shocked a while ago now looks empowered. Looking around to see no one moving, she marches forward.

"If she can do it, then to hell with it, I can too!" she says.

She faces all of us as she stands on the ledge, pulling off her black blazer to reveal a white blouse underneath. She smiles at all of us in turn.

"See you at the bottom!" she yells.

Then she turns around, spreads her arms then jumps, screaming and yelling all the way to the bottom. And I hear the same pulling noise.

The cuticle-picking Candor boy is finally fed up. He marches straight towards the platform and jumps without hesitation. His two followers, a short, carrot-haired boy and a tall, well-built girl with crooked teeth follow straight after him. Then a few Dauntless-borns take the jump. A boy from my faction, Will, decides to jump soon after. The remainder of the initiates jump until it's just me and Edward left.

Max turns his attention towards us and chuckles, a wry smile on his face. "Well, who's first, Erudite lovebirds?"

Edward stands in front of me, blocking my view of the ledge. He takes my wrists in his hands and kisses me, a soft kiss on the lips.

"I'll see you at the bottom," he whispers, winking. Then he turns, walks away from me and jumps off the ledge. The members up on the roof all turn to me, expectant. And Max looks like he's smirking at me.

"Well, lucky last. Or are you too scared?" he teases.

I clench my fists. I came here for a reason. Not only for Edward, but to prove to my parents that I am worth something. That I am brave. I am strong. And I can complete initiation.

All I have to do is jump.

I walk forward, a determined look in my eye. All the members stare as I walk by. I turn to Max, smirking.

"I do belong here. And I will prove it to you," I say.

Then, closing my eyes, I jump.

I feel a feeling of complete weightlessness as I plummet towards solid ground. I dare not open my eyes in case they become red with tears from the wind. I feel the air rush past my skinny body, blowing my mousy brown hair about until I finally land. The pulling notion comes from the rope net I had landed on. And I am pulled out of the hole by another faction member and Edward.

The other boy who pulled me out has messy hair and blue eyes. I hear another of the Dauntless call him Four. A rather peculiar name, in my opinion. His parents must have been passionate about numbers. He nods, and smiles in my direction.

"What's your name?" he asks.

"Myra," I say, finally shaking off the adrenaline of the jump.

"Welcome to Dauntless, Myra."

Then Edward leads me off. He wraps an arm around me and kisses my forehead. I can feel his lips, moulded into a small smile. He looks down at me, his green eyes shining in the night.

"I knew you could do it."

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**Hope you liked it! Leave a review with your opinions. Thanks for reading! :)**


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